COIMBATORE: Officials of the Drug Administration Department and Food Safety Department have instructed pharmacies not to recommend electrolyte drinks, such as ORSL, to patients, instead of ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution).
Many pharmacies often recommend electrolyte drinks such as ORSL instead of ORS for rehydration. However, officials said such drinks are not WHO-recommended, contain high levels of sugar and may actually worsen one’s health.
The two departments also held a meeting with pharmacy owners a few days ago in Coimbatore and gave several instructions on the sale of electrolyte drinks.“These drinks can worsen dehydration during diarrhoea due to the presence of high sugar content,” said Dr T Anuradha, Designated Food Safety Officer, Coimbatore.
Though electrolyte drinks in tetra-packs have disclaimers such as ‘not for medical use’, they are often sold to customers as it is profitable for the sellers. S Marimuthu, Assistant Director of Drug Control, Coimbatore zone, said pharmacies should offer electrolyte drinks after asking the customer about the reason for consumption.